Footsteps
by inktounge
Summary: Casanara is the daughter of Aly and Nawat. While being pressured froma all sides to make a descision about her career, Casanara is also forced to choose sides in a war between the gods. Rated T for language.
1. Chapter 1

_Disclaimer:_ Tamara Pierce is an all-out genius. If I were her, I would be extremely rich right now and writing my own books and not writing stories on fanfiction.

When tailing a suspect, hide in plain sight. It is best to wear nondescript, but certainly not ratty clothing. Never wear bright colors or frills. Frills are both distasteful and noticeable, avoid them if you can. The best disguise for any girl to have is a simple maid's outfit. Maids can be anywhere because maids are supposed to be doing jobs all over the place. If you happen to be searching a study for some treasonous papers and someone walks into the room that you are, you could always say that you were just dusting and accidently tipped something over and the reason that you fingers were all over one of the master's private files was that you were merely cleaning up your mess. Tailing someone in the market? All anyone would possibly see from you is a young maid buying something for her mistress or house. The only trick you'll actually have to learn is how not to get caught.

_A letter from Alianne Crow to her daughter, Casinara Crow, while she was staying with her grandmother Alanna of Pirate's Swoop. _

_Author's Note:_ This is the beginning of my new story and first Tamara Pierce fanfic. Sound anything like what Aly would say to her budding spy of a daughter?


	2. Sticky Fingers

**Disclamer: Don't own Tortall, Copper Isls, Alanna, George, Aly, Nawat or anyone else that you, the beloved and honored reader, recognise. **

**A/N:**_ Hey guys! I'm aware that this is hideously short and I humbly beg gor your forgivness. Enjoy! _

Casinara Crow dragged herself over the window sill to deposit herself in an ungraceful heap on the floor of her room. She smirked at herself and began to haul her exhausted body into some semblance of an upright position. She reached her hand into one of the many pockets situated all along her outfit and pulled out a small package of what looked to be a wad of about thirty handkerchiefs. She slowly unwrapped it, her expression slowly changing to one of joy. Eventually, after unwinding five layers of extremely fine linen, a flash of gold could be seen. Casinara was holding a tiny golden box. "Such a beautiful piece of art"

"You know, out of all my offspring, you are the only one I know of to have the sticky fingers."

Casinara gave a tiny scream, which she immediately tried to swallow, and turned to face one of the many people she'd rather not have seen at that particular moment.

**A/N:** So how was my first attempt at a cliffhanger? Yes, yes I know that this is acctually really bad for a first real chapter, seeing as you only know one real thing about Casi. If you didn't get one thing that I'm talking about, than you're really dense. I'll write more later I promise!


	3. How it all began

**Disclamer:**You guys know the drill, I don't own Tortall, Aly, Nawat, Alanna, George (my favorite character) or the Copper Isles. I do however own Casi, her siblings, and the theives.

**A/N:** _This is a flashback sort of thing. It's supposed to kind of explain some of the first actual chapter. I noticed that in all of the reviews, people all had their own ideas about who the mystery character was. Hust so you know, you were all wrong. That is the reason that I wrote this chapter, too see if you guys pick up any of my hints. Well okay, that's only one of my reasons. It's really because I have absolutely no idea where I'm going with this story. I mean, I know where I want to go, just not how to get there. It's really kind of annoying. _

Casinara was walking through the streets of Ramaught (A/N: I'm really not sure if that is spelled even remotely correct, but I'm too lazy to go look it up) on Market day, keeping one eye glued on the sky which was slowly filling up with angry grey storm clouds while the other roved over the dozens of merchants' booths that lines the streets. She was only twelve years old, but her surprising height, which she got from her father's side of the family, lent her a security that any girls shorter would not have had. For all Casi's young age, she was already as tall as her mother, who was only five- one. Casi didn't look much like her mother at all, unless you looked really closely. Most people were distracted by Casi's dark skin. Nawat Crow, Casi's father was almost black skinned, and her mother, Aly's, skin was a very pale skin. Casi's skin, though lighter than Nawat's, was still several shades darker than Aly's. Casi's hair was black and wavy and framed a determined face very similar to Aly's. There was the same determined chin, small nose, and mouth with the slightly fuller lower lip. Casi was determined to believe that she was not very pretty, and got very annoyed when people tried to tell her she was. The only feature she took any true pride in were her eyes, which were a truly extraordinary color. They were green. Not hazel green like her mother's, but a solid dark, emerald green with unusual silver flecks. Casi had noticed that people either didn't like looking at them or stared at them. Either way, she hated her physical appearance.

Casi had a very interesting background; it was another thing she was sensitive about. Her mother, Alianne (Aly) Crow, was the spymaster for the Copper Isles' Crown. Her father, Nawat Crow, was the head of the Crown's Special Forces and was actually supposed to be a crow. Literally. During the Raka Revolution twenty years earlier, he had chosen to become a human in order to both help Aly (who was helping the rebels) and, also, to get closer to her. He had fallen in love with the young woman from Tortall, a country from across the sea. Aly eventually fell in love with the crow-turned-man. After the rebellion had ended and the raka people had retaken the throne, the two had married. Nowadays they had four children, including Casinara, who was the third child and second daughter. Her oldest sister, Saraivy, was fourteen and a squire in Tortall. Casi's older brother was a mage and had decided to live in the Copper Isles; he was as powerful, possibly even _more_powerful, as his grandmother, the Lioness of Tortall, for all that he was merely thirteen years old. Casi was next. She too was a mage, but not nearly as powerful as her brother. She was gifted with the Sight, however, and that was just as powerful as her mother's. The baby of the family was another daughter, named Junai after one of the many fighters who had been killed during the Rebellion was only about eight years old and was already getting ready for training as a knight in Tortall just like her oldest sister. Casi was the only child that did not have a clear career path, except for spying of course. She was only twelve though, and had a few years before she had to make up her mind. In the mean time, though, Casi learned all the major codes, and several less well known codes for good measure, plus a lot of other things that a spy would need to know.

Casi thought about her family often. It was a topic that was frequently under scrutiny by the silken fops at court. People usually liked to poke fun at the strange and quirky Nawat and the formerly Tortallan spymaster, both of which preferred to stay away from court and neither of which were remotely normal. That sort of behavior from the younger people of the Court was the very reason that Casi was out in the streets now. She had escaped from a picnic that her mother had attempted to force Casi into attending. _Why can't they just my family alone. Isn't it enough that Mother and Father liberated the _

_Copper Isles from the laurin and now my parents happen to be one of the running jokes of the Court that Mother wants me to be friends with!_ _'Oh look! There's the fowl-lover and her pet birdie!' And that is probably the kindest thing that those idiots say! _Casi sighed in frustration, recalling the way the Court children had mocked her.

Casi's thoughts were suddenly interrupted as the heavens decided to break open on Casi's head at that very moment. The girl dashed through the nearest door and found herself in a tavern. _A tavern_. Of all places for a daughter of a noble house to end up. Even if it was an accident, a tavern was not where Casi was supposed to end up. For that matter, Aly would skin Casi alive if she found out her daughter had been in a tavern. Casi was about to turn around and leave, and to the Trickster with the rain, when a hand thudded down onto her shoulder, making Casi freeze in alarm.

"Ho now, what's a sweet little thing like you doin' down here?" The owner of the aforementioned hand was a tall, burly man with a thick beard who was obviously drunk; Casi could smell the ale on his breath from where she stood, a good two feet from the man's mouth. Then again, it could just be the acrid odor of someone who hadn't bathed in the last week. "Why don' ya come an' meet my friends, sweetie, we'll get ya some drink ta warm ya up right an fast."

Casi may not have had a whole lot of experience with drunks or, for that matter, men in general, but she was certainly not naïve enough to believe that the man really wanted to _just_buy her a drink. Aly had been telling her adolescent daughter stories about how young girls had gotten into serious trouble by getting involved with drunken men without any sort of body guard or companion to help them out of compromising situations. Casi suddenly felt very thankful to her parents for forcing her into weapons training. Not that Casi had ever truly minded, she liked the fighting arts, just not quite enough to devote herself to them as a knight. Casinara was about to draw one of her many knives on the man when a second voice rang out.

"Serd! You know the rules! Don't mess with the innocents!" Casi ran her gaze around the large, surprisingly airy common room to find the source of the voice. It was a surprisingly rich, smooth, and cultured voice for a place that should have been filled with rough men and fluttery voiced and fluttery mannered women. A tall, robust woman abruptly appeared at Casi's side and gestured for the young girl to follow. After a moment of hesitation, Casi decided to trail after the woman. It seemed a much smarter course of action than staying where she had previously been, right in front of the door and cornered by the disgusting drunk, Serd.

Casi was led through the crowd of people to the back of the room. She was quite surprised by what she found there. A man who seemed to ooze authority lounged in a large, high-backed, expensive-looking chair. He was a slender, broad-shouldered, laurin man who would have been completely unremarkable if it were not for that charismatic aura. "Well, look at you. What is a young, obviously high born beauty doing in the lowlands? Without an escort, I might add." (A/N: the lowlands is a term used for anywhere in Ramaught that is not affiliated with the nobles) The man had a vaguely bored expression on his face that didn't quite reach his eyes. Casi knew better than to believe that this man, who was obviously an important figure in this place, didn't care about Casi was. He was downright curious. Casi wasn't about 

to give an easy or simple answer, it was simply not in her nature. Besides, she wanted some answers of her own. "Well, I'm not sure what I'm doing here, can't you tell me sir, since you seem to have such a handle on affairs here." Casi knew how much of a gamble she had just made. That was an outright challenge to the man and his cohorts and all the people in the tavern, whether or not they had actually heard her or not.

To Casi's surprise, even though she kept it hidden expertly behind the mask of her face, the man gave a full-throated laugh that shook the table. Most of the surrounding people looked somewhat confused, though some were quite amused. "Well, Well! The little dove can do more than sing!" That was all the man said in reply to Casi's barb.

"You have not yet heard me sing, good sir, so how can you gauge if that is all I can do? As far as I know, I have never seen you and you have never seen me." Casi may only have been twelve, but she could use word play with the best of them. "The only thing that I have that sings, sir, is my blade, would you like to hear it?" Another gamble. That was a threat, and everyone there knew it. Not that Casi was bluffing either; she could nail a fly with one of her throwing blades.

This earned another chuckle from the man, but the people surrounding them a little unsettling, a few of them even fingered the hilts of their belt knives and swords. No longer were they easy on their feet. They were looking at the tall girl with a new sort of wariness, if not quite respect. "You are an interesting child, Casinara, "the man murmured. He signaled for her to follow him, ands Casi did. She had a lot more questions now than she did five minutes before.

_How in the world does he know my name? _Thought a bewildered Casi. _Who is this person!? What in the name of the Great Mother Goddess and the Trickster does he want with me?_

Soon at least some of her questions were answered. After the man situated himself at the end of the long table in the private room that he had just led her to, along with the same woman that had led Casi to the man and a small, weasely man who seemed to move with same grace and lurching quality of a whip being cracked in the air. It was a strange combination.

"My name is Radiear Feld, this is Solsa Heartswipe," he pointed to the woman, who nodded, "and that is Hersi Whipslash" he pointed to the man, a full blooded raka by the looks of him. "Oh, and welcome to the Red Hand." (A/N: The Red Hand is the name of the tavern.)

"That does not tell me much about what you want me for, Master Feld, "was all Casi said as a reply.

Radiear raised an eyebrow. "Must you be so touchy?" He remarked. "We may have just met, little girl, but your mother and I are not strangers."

"What?" Casi asked. "How do you know my mother?"

"I suppose you could say that I am one of her agents."

"O.K. . . Wait . . . What?" That was all that the poor, bewildered Casi.

"Haven't you guessed yet? I'm the King of Thieves here in Ramaught."

Everything suddenly clicked in Casi's head. The authority, the throne-like chair, and the way that people in the tavern seemed to follow Radiear like puppy dogs. It also made sense why Radiear would know Aly. George, Casi's grandfather in Tortall, had told Casi stories about how he, back when he had been the King of Thieves in Corus, had helped out the Crown by being a spy as well keeping an eye on the low-lifes of the city.

"Anyway, that is not why I wanted to ask you." Radiear continued. "I have a bit of an offer for you, little bird." Casi bristled at the 'little bird' part, but her attention had been thoroughly caught. Her suspicions had been raised as well, but she felt a strange trust for the man, for all that he was a criminal. "How would you like to learn my trade?"

Casi had to fight to keep her jaw from dropping down to the floor and her eyes from popping out of her head. "You want to teach me- _me_, the daughter of two upstanding, law-abiding servants to the Crown, how to be a thief." Casinara spoke slowly and deliberately. She couldn't believe what she was hearing. It just wasn't possible.

"Law-abiding? If your parents are anything, it is certainly not law-abiding. Your parents break as many laws doing their own jobs as I do mine. Besides, the thieving trade is very useful, especially if you want to be a spy like your mother." Radiear mused. He knew that Casi would be trying to find a whole in Radiear's logic. He also knew that it was nearly impossible to do that. "Even if you don't become a spy, the skills that you would learn would certainly be useful. Don't you agree?"

After a great deal of consideration, Casi took the opportunity to learn something new. She had always enjoyed learning, and she was usually very good at whatever she applied herself to.

Casi came down to the Red Hand as often as possible and devoted herself to learning the art of the pick pocket and the art of the lock pick. She surprised all of the thieves In the Red Hand, except possibly the King himself, with how fast she learned. By the end of the first year, not only was Casi finally accepted by the thieves of Ramaught as a legitimate student of their craft, but she could pick pockets like a pro and could break through almost any lock. She was literally a prodigy of the thieving world. She was one of the best thieves in the entire city, and she was only thirteen.

It was her little secret though. When Casi journeyed into the lowlands for her lessons, she went by the name of Cali Wainright. The only thieves that knew of Casi's actual identity were Radiear, Solsa and Hersi, all three of which were agents for Aly. Strangely enough though, Aly and Nawat didn't seem to have any idea about Casi's trips to the city, or the reason for those trips. Casi didn't think much of it, she was much too distracted by her new hobby to care or be suspicious.

Casi slowly began to become much more enthralled by her new occupation and found her trips to the city for pleasure were often laced with pick-pocketing and casing targets for her midnight escapades. She loved the thrill of robbing the houses of the rich. The mansions of those who teased Casi and her 

family were Casi's favorite targets. It was a sweet sort of revenge for her. In short, she loved being a theif.

**A/N:**_If nothing else, I hope that made sense. I don't really like this chapter, but it took me three whole days to write and I'm knid of annoyed at it. Mabye the next chapter will be better. I sincerely hope that you review._

**Review Reply**

**Aly-Of-Tortall13**- thank you so much for reviewing! I'm glad you enjoyed it. No, it's not Aly or Nawat.

**LottedeWorthe-** thanks for reviewing! No, it's not Aly.

**Shang Leapard**- thank you for all your help with the ideas, I hope you keep reading.

**Lady Kale-** thank you for reviewing! You'll just have to wait and see, won't you.

**Madame S. Butterfly-** thanks for reviewing! I hope you keep reading and it keeps your interest.

**crouchingbunny-** thankyou for reviewing!


	4. A little heart to heart

**Yes the last chapter was a flash back; this chapter is back to Casi's present time.**

**Sorry this chapter took so long, I have a case of writer's block. It is highly annoying. If anyone has any ideas regarding any of my stories, esspecially this one, I would be very greatful. **

**A/N:**_ Just a reminder, this chapter takes place right after the second chapter, not the third._

**Important Note!! **_Casi is staying in Tortal with her grandparents. They are staying at the palace. _

"_You know, out of all my offspring, you are the only one I know of to have the sticky fingers."_

_Casinara gave a tiny scream, which she immediately tried to swallow, and turned to face one of the many people she'd rather not have seen at that particular moment. _

George stared at his grand-daughter with a small, amused smile on his sun-tanned face. Casi recovered her as much of her dignity as she possibly could. It was enough to glare at her grandfather and saunter over to her desk as if she wasn't worried about anything, least of all George Cooper, the baron of Pirate's Swoop and her mother's father. "I'm not sure that that is a complement, Grandda. By the way, how long have you been sitting there?"

George gave a bit of a laugh. "Somehow I knew you wouldn't be one of those people to beg that I won't tell their parents, or grandmother, for that matter."

"You know very well that I wouldn't beg anything from you, least of all your silence, since I know you would just go and tell Ma and Grandma anyway, just like when I was five and you swore you wouldn't tell grandma that I broke the mirror in the gallery." Casi replied, not even bothering to look at George as she carefully examined the tiny gold box that she had stolen off of some nobleman in the marketplace. "You still haven't answered my question: how long have you been sitting there?"

"Almost half an hour, I think. Oh, and you should remember to properly lock your door next time you try to sneak out."

"I did lock it! I was very careful! I had the maids bring up the bath water, you know, as an excuse, waited until they left, locked the door, and climbed out the window. It's not my fault that you can pick locks!" Casi gestured to the small packet on the table that her grandfather was sitting next to. It was identical to the packet of lock picks that Aly had given her daughter for her thirteenth birthday.

George chuckled again. "You were pulling off the apathetic act so well until a moment ago. You really should work on that." He laughed again at Casi's glare before going on. "You are a truly an interesting child, Casinara." He paused to study her. "You are truly the first of my descendants to take an interest in the thieving art. Even your mother thought more for spy-work than anything else. Where did you learn and why are you… so interested in it, even though you are an exceptionally well-provided-for child who has the best education of many noble-born in you generation, seeing as you spend half your time in the Isles and the other half here in Tortal. Why become a thief? Why not just become a spy like your mother and I?

Casi raised her eyebrows at the last question. "Do you expect me to believe that you have always led a perfectly respectable life, Grandda? I know that you have tried to keep your… um… previous life away from us kids, but we all know that you were a thief before you married Grandma and the King hired you to be his spymaster. Come on, Grandda; give me a little more credit for my… paying attention to history if you want to call it that. That is slightly more flattering than some other terms I could use for trying to 

find out the real facts about the past of my family. Do you know how hard it was to uncover the truth about you and Grandma?"

George rolled his eyes at the slightly smirking girl in front of him. "Yes, I tried to keep you from it; obviously I need to try a little harder if you managed to get a hold of my information. But don't avoid my questions."

Now it was Casi's turn to roll her eyes. "A man in the Copper Isles approached me with an offer to teach me how to become a thief. I accepted. He taught me and now I am considered one of the best in Ramaught. I don't keep the things I steal, by the way. I sell them and give the money to those who need it. It's not like I do. You said yourself that I'm very well provided for. As to why I do it… I'm not really sure. I just like the thrill of it, I guess. You know what I mean, right?" She looked at her grandfather hopefully.

George quirked a small smile, "More than you know, little one, more than you know." He stood up and stretched. "I'm going to turn in for the night, you should probably clean up and do likewise" He turned away from her and started towards the door. Suddenly he turned back towards her and winked, "Don't worry, I won't tell your grandmother… yet. She'll find out eventually, though, unless you are very, very careful. Good night. Oh, and you might want to try the specialties store one Dove Street to get rid of that box you have there. And one more thing, I'm a bit old to do this for myself, but would you mind stopping by Lord Solard's townhouse on one of your next runs and relieve them of some of their… unneeded wealth? Lord Solard is getting on my nerves." George winked once more and left the room.

Casi couldn't help but laugh.

**A/N:**_ This is Casinara's family. I hope it is not too confusing or anything. If you have any questions or ideas or whatever, please send them to me via review or PM._

Alanna of Pirate's Swoop- dubbed "The Lioness" by the Tortallan people. Champion of King Jonathon of Contѐ. First Lady Knight of Tortall. Servant of the Great Mother Goddess.

George Cooper- Baron of Pirate's Swoop. Born a commoner in the city of Corus, but befriended the king and was gifted the barony just before the coronation. Unofficial spymaster of Tortall.

Thom of Pirate's Swoop- Eldest son of Alanna and George. Mage. Married to Salara of Loswood, another mage. They have four children: Diara, Georgina, Randal, and Josan.

Alan of Pirate's Swoop- Second son of Alanna and George. Knight of the Realm. Married to Lianne of Conte. They have five children: Aliara, Jason, Navina, Lial and Lila (twins), and Aaron. Alianne's twin.

Alianne Crow, formerly of Pirate's Swoop- Spymaster of the Copper Isles. Born in Tortall. Only daughter of Alanna and George. Servant of the Trickster God, Kyprioth.

Nawat Crow- Alianne's husband and Head of the Copper Isles' Special Forces. (A/N: I made that up; I figured he might as well have an actual special role in the government for his role in the revolution. As opposed to the Queen's Guard, the Special Forces are the elite of both the warrior and spy fields. In other words, my version of the Special Opps. Force. I hope you guys know what I mean.) Former crow.

Saraivy Crow- Alianne and Nawat's oldest child. Sixteen years of age. Training for knighthood in Tortall.

Farad Crow- Second child. Fifteen years old. Mage. Lives in Copper Isles. Is one of the two children that can shape-shift into crow form.

Casinara Crow- Third child. Fourteen. Mage, but does not want that to be her career seeing as she is not that powerful. Would rather be a spy, but she is kind of unsure of that, too. Possesses the Sight to the degree of her mother. Is one of the children that can shape-shift into crow form.

Junai Crow- Fourth child. Ten years old. About to start knight training in Tortall. Has a touch of the Gift, but only enough to heal bruises and headaches and such

**A/N: **_S what do you think? Please let me know, I'm dying to know all of your critisizems and comments all that, unless you want to falme me. In that case, you can submit it anyway, but you will just be ignored. So pleeeeease review, I will probably love you forever. Mabye._


	5. Author's note

Author's note

Due to the fact that I haven't had anything to do with this fic for several months, I will be deleting it for the time being. Hopefully, I will publish it later when I have some more written for it.

As for anyone who actually enjoyed the first few chapters, I'm sorry. Mabye you'll see it later.

Ink


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